


Flagrant Foul

by brokenhighways



Series: The Thrill [10]
Category: Hit the Floor (TV)
Genre: Heist, M/M, Minor Injuries, Suspense, Unhappy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 14:53:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16812895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenhighways/pseuds/brokenhighways
Summary: It's been two months since Zero promised that he'd take down Oscar and progress has been slow.





	Flagrant Foul

**Author's Note:**

> It's finally here! Sorry for the long wait!

-I-

It's two weeks before pre-season starts and Zero finds himself pressed between two hot semi-naked girls as the camera flashes repeatedly. Promotional shots for something or other, he's not really interested. It's been two months since he promised that he'd take down Oscar and progress has been slow. 

He's working with his P.I. John, to gather evidence, but it's hard when he doesn't have access to Oscar's confidential files. There's been a lot of talk about how Oscar plans on funding the new stadium and Zero knows that's the key to bringing Oscar down once and for all. 

He just needs to find a way to get close enough to Oscar without arousing suspicion.

“Why do you look so miserable?” Mieke appears in front of him after the photographer calls for a ten minute break. “Grace told me that you landed Sports Illustrated cover and I came here to congratulate you, but instead you look like you're sucking on a lemon.”

Zero rolls his shoulder back gingerly. “Let's see. I was  _ shot.  _ Before that my boyfriend was arrested for murder and the team I play for was annihilated in the finals last year so we have twice as much to prove this season. There's not a whole lot to smile about.”

Mieke doesn't respond, just frowns and scribbles something down in her ledger. 

“Is there something that you need?”

She looks up at him warily. “No, Zero, we're good.”

He wonders what the point of their conversation was.

~

Zero's bad day continues when he meets Laura for lunch at a Mexican bistro. It's an impromptu lunch date prefaced by the words 'we need to talk’. He's not expecting it to be anything that he wants to hear. 

He orders an appetizer and a lemon water and watches as Laura rips into her salmon. There's something that makes him sit up and pay attention. 

Growing up in foster care means that he's picked up on certain things. Before he turned pro, he used to wolf his meals down because he had no idea when the next one would be or how long the plate in front of him would be on offer. Food became this ticking time bomb that he was forced to chase after. 

Something is clearly wrong here and he's ashamed to say that he has no clue what it is. 

“You said you had something to tell me?” 

Truth be told, Zero hasn't had much time for Laura since Jude's incarceration. He's not stopped to think about how any of what's happening is affecting her. 

Sometimes his selfishness rears its ugly head and he has no idea how to fight it. 

“I called our mother the day you got shot and I've been meeting up with her since. We go for lunch mostly. Dinner once or twice. I've even met her boyfriend.”

Every single muscle in Zero’s body tenses and ice chills his veins. Her words echo in his mind for a painful minute before it settles down. 

“That's your choice,” he forces himself to say. “Like I said, I'm not going to stand in your way if you want to have a relationship with her.”

Laura looks remorseful and she sets her fork down slowly. “See, you say that, but your eyes say something different, Gideon.”

The thing is, Zero's come to terms with his fractured relationship with his mom. He wishes he could have the same fairytale reunion Laura is having, but he's read the file. He knows  _ everything  _ and his mother knows that. Guilt causes her to push him away and he's happy to stay away from her. 

“Laura, it's cool. She's your mom... I'd never stand in the way of that.”

Laura seems to take offense to Zero's easy acceptance, almost like she wants him to talk her out of it. To be angry. 

If only she knew how  _ tired  _ he was.

“Okay, then, she and Steve are moving to New York. They've asked me to come with them.”

That takes Zero from reluctant acceptance to disgust in close to three seconds.

“They're moving to….” he laughs bitterly. “Who's paying for this move?”

Laura shrugs wordlessly, but he can see the regret forming in her eyes. 

All he's done is try to protect her from the truth, but after everything with Mia he realises that sometimes the truth needs to be out there. 

“When I turned pro, the team did a background check. Whole nine yards. I made the decision to make my past go away. Didn't want people knowing. All of that money I pay her? It's to ensure that she doesn't blab to the press.”

Laura clears her throat. “Gideon, if I'd known…”

Zero shakes his head because he should have done this the first time his mom broke the  _ one  _ rule he has.

“When you were six months old she tried to sell you for a rock of crack.”

Laura raises an eyebrow. “You'd think a baby would get you the luxury stuff.”

Zero ignores the wisecrack and keeps going. 

“When I was three she left me with her junkie boyfriend, who put me on a Greyhound to Nevada.”

“Now, that's someone with a little initiative.” Laura's voice is dull, like her weak attempt at a joke. Part of him is annoyed by her response, but he understands - it's a lot to process. 

He's known for years and it's still surreal. 

“She hates me because I know every fucked up thing that she did. I'm a reminder that she's a lousy mother.”

Initially, it hurt knowing that his own mother resented him, but Zero's come to terms with it. Sometimes, people aren't worth being in others’ lives and that's okay. 

“Is that why you've been going behind Jude's back and finding out information about Oscar?”

Zero's eyes widen. She's far too perceptive for her own good. 

“The clandestine meetings, the fact that you've been busy for the past six weeks - it's clear you're up to something. Don't worry, we told Jude that we think you're about to propose.”

Zero spits out his water. “ _ What _ ?!”

If there's one thing he and Jude have skirted around it's  _ marriage.  _ Jude has battle scars from watching his parents dysfunction and Zero's never been one to attach importance to a piece of paper. 

Laura shrugs. “Oh, come on. Jude is like, your soulmate.”

“I don't believe in soulmates. People love each other until they don't and then everything falls apart.”

Laura raises an eyebrow. “If you believe that, why are you with him?”

Zero shakes his head. “It's not that simple.”

It never is. 

-II-

Jude surprises Zero with a last minute trip to Cancun and before he knows it, they're touching down at the airport and being whisked to a private villa. 

A whirlwind vacation isn't a hardship, but it's also not the kind of thing Jude would come up with. Jude's more of a homebody with a list of restaurants to tick off. He loves snuggling under throws that make Zero sneeze and watching stupid romantic comedies. 

This Jude that's currently going down on him in the middle of their hotel room isn't  _ his  _ Jude, which means one thing. 

He's fucked up somehow. 

~

He waits until Jude's sated and burrowed under the covers before he asks the burning question. 

“What's all of this about?”

Jude stares at him, his blue-green eyes still darkened and dilated. “We've never been on vacation together and I thought we deserved a break.”

Zero props himself up with his elbow and pokes at Jude's bare chest. “What's this  _ really  _ about?”

Jude rolls his eyes and leans over to grab his discarded t-shirt. He pulls it on over his head before he climbs out and yanks his boxers back on. 

It's classic self-conscious Jude, but Zero doesn't say anything. He just watches and waits for an answer.

“I knew that this was a stupid idea. Lionel thought that it might be good to do something different, you know because it's been so long since we had sex and actually spent time together and you've been distant since you got shot which was my fault an--”

“Stop talking.” Zero's words are loud and clear enough that Jude's mouth snaps shut instantly.

Later, they'll talk about everything, but right now it's time to make up for the fact that he's been distant. 

~

They spend the entire vacation inside the villa, and Zero is grateful for the pool located at the back. He wakes up early on their third night and swims until his lungs feel like they're about to burst. 

He wonders what he's running from. 

“Gideon.”

He's not sure how long he's been in the water when Jude appears, his hair unkempt and a smattering of bruises from the rekindling they've been doing since the first day. 

Zero climbs out of the pool, smirking to himself when Jude's eyes wander down to his soaked swim trunks. He doesn't hesitate to pull him into a wet, messy kiss. 

Perhaps they can avoid the conversation he's been putting off since the first night. 

“We need to talk,” Jude says when they pull apart. “What's going on with you? And don't give me that bullshit story that Laura and Clive tried to sell me about a proposal.” 

Zero wipes the water from his face and reaches for his discarded towel. “What? You don't think I want to marry you?”

Jude laughs; full on guffaws like the thought of them being married is hilarious. 

Maybe it is. 

“Both of us have fucked up views on marriage, Zero. I mean, this is the longest relationship I've been in and your first  _ serious  _ relationship. We still have some way to go.”

That's what Zero loves about Jude. 

His rationalism. 

“Now that we have that out of the way, why have you been acting weird? If it's do with what happened then, maybe you can talk to someone?”

The thing is that Zero's fine. He's had a life full of trauma and getting shot is just one more addition in the book. Sure, he still feels sore from time to time and his medical team think he should sit out the first few games of the season, but he's fine. 

Or at least he's  _ trying  _ to be. 

“It's so fucking cliché isn't it. You get arrested for murder. I get  _ shot.  _ It just feels like we live in a cheesy soap opera sometimes. Sometimes I just wish we could be... normal.”

Jude nods slowly. “I get that. Everything that happens to you, doesn't just happen, it's magnified. When you were in hospital, it was crazy. Reporters crawling everywhere. Everyone wanting a piece of you. Even now, Mieke still thinks you should do one of those stupid TV interviews.”

Zero shakes his head. Mieke is a damn good publicist, but sometimes all she sees is the bigger picture.

“Look, Jude, there's something that I didn't tell you. Back in the hospital, I made a promise.”

Jude frowns and beckons towards the deck chairs by the side of the pool. Zero tosses his towel on the floor and sits beside Jude. 

“What promise?”

Zero swallows hard before he starts. “I couldn't stop thinking about Mia and how no one cared about her except for her sister. It made me think of Laura. What if if that was her and nobody cared? I promised that I'd help her get revenge on Oscar if she turned herself in.”

“Revenge?” Jude echoes. “Revenge how?”

Zero's not exactly got a concrete plan, but after carefully assessing the situation, he knows exactly where to hit Oscar. 

“I've spent the past few months researching the organisation - or well, my private investigator has. Everyone knows that he was using dirty money to fund the new area. That's the starting point. The money.”

Jude clears his throat, but his face remains indifferent. “Okay. How are you going to use that information to target him? If he ends up in jail, he'll just end up getting cut loose. He's untouchable.”

Zero smiles. “He might be untouchable, but his money isn't. See, guys like Oscar don't worry about their freedom. They focus on having money and power and I plan on taking both of them from him.”

There's a long silence and Zero wonders if he should have kept it to himself. He's spent the past two months keeping this secret in and he's not sure how Jude's going to react.

“I'm in.”

That's all Jude says. Zero waits for more, but nothing comes. There's just quiet. 

“You sure about that?”

Jude scoffs and shakes his head. “He was willing to let me go to jail for a murder that  _ he _ didn't even commit. Damn right I'm sure.”

-III-

There's something about being behind the wheel of his red Aston Martin DB11 that turns Zero on. The feel of the engine thrumming, the way the sound vibrates through his body. By the time he's reached the driveway of the house, he's amped up and desperate to either find Jude or a cold shower. 

Instead he finds Clive waiting for him by the door. 

“Nice wheels you got there.” 

Zero has been avoiding any meaningful conversation with Clive since he got shot, but he suspects that his time is up. 

“Just felt like a change,” he says, accentuating the words with a shrug. 

He heads towards the kitchen before Clive can say anything else and fetches a bottled water from the fridge. 

Clive leans on the doorway and folds his arms like he's a stern parent.

“That doesn't explain the long rambling voicemail I got from your accountant,” he says quietly. “You might have a publicist that does everything for you now, but I'm still your manager. I'm still dealing with all of the things that Mieke hasn't taken over.”

Zero frowns; it's his money to spend on what he wants. He doesn't need a babysitter. 

“Can't a guy go shopping? And I thought you'd be happy to have less responsibility.”

Clive sighs, pushes himself off the doorway and sits down at the breakfast bar. “Since the day I met you, you've always been careful with your money and investments. You've got an extensive property portfolio and you don't spend money like it's going out of fashion. In the last month, you've bought you've exceeded the budget by almost fifty percent.”

Zero blinks. “I have a budget?”

He's playing dumb, a lot of the money has gone towards the investigation. He just bought the car to throw the scent off anyone who might be looking into what he's doing. 

Clive rolls his eyes. “Look, what the hell is wrong with you?”

Zero drops his façade, shoulders falling when he lets the stoicism flow from his body.

“I just... You ever promise someone something and wonder how you'll keep it?” 

“What did you promise?”

“That I'd destroy Oscar Kinkade”

Clive whistles. “You do realises that he's funding your lifestyle?” 

His, Jude's, the whole team…. There's a lot at stake and that's what's weighing on his mind. 

He never stopped to consider this when he made that promise. 

“I don't know what to do. I was planning on going for his money, but... That's mouths that won't be fed, people who won't have jobs, the team might end up in ruins. How can I justify that?”

“For your plan to work, you need a backup in place. Someone with the funds, or... Someone who Oscar trusts enough for them to screw him over.”

Zero looks up and catches sight of a creases picture of Lionel and Jude stuck on the fridge. 

Clive is a freaking genius. 

~

They're parked somewhere in the hills, with the red body of the DB11 gleaming in the sunset. Jude's shoved across the driver's side with his jeans by his ankles as Zero fucks into him nice and slow. 

It turns out that the car has a similar effect on Jude. 

“I can't believe we're doing this out in the open,” Jude says in between Zero's thrusts. Zero doesn't answer as he bites at Jude's neck and reaches around to jerk him off. Jude spills into his hand minutes later and Zero follows suit seconds later. 

Jude twists around and catches Zero's mouth with his own. 

He pulls back after a while and says, “What did you want to talk to me about?”

~

“You want Lionel to get Oscar to fall in love with her so that he'll sign everything away to her and then she leaves him high and dry?”

Zero smirks. 

It's a pretty good plan if you ask him. 

“That's a stupid idea.”

They're sitting in the car and Zero's afterglow is all but gone. 

“What do you suggest?”

Jude licks his lips and looks out of the window. 

“What about a heist?”

Zero should have known that taking Jude to see Ocean's Eight was a bad idea. What does he look like? George Clooney?

“You're kidding, right? This is  _ real _ life.”

“I don't mean scaling buildings and robbing banks, but a simple scheme that leaves his bank account empty.”

Zero raises an eyebrow. “Go on.”

Jude smiles bleakly. “The billion dollar stadium deal is going to need a  _ lot  _ of capital. Right now it's on the back burner, but Oscar is definitely still interested.”

“So, what, we find his capital?”

Jude shakes his head. “Oscar's money is probably offshore. He needs someone to part finance his development.”

Zero blinks. He might have studied business at college, but he's still a  _ basketball  _ player. He needs Jude to put everything in layman's terms. 

“We can't just steal his money. What about the team? How would it function without his financial backing?”

“The Devils is its own entity with provisions in place. Sure, Oscar finances the team, but remember, there are sponsorship deals and everything. Plus, we can always find a new owner.”

Zero casts an impressive glance in Jude's direction. “You really know your stuff.”

There's a wry smile as Jude meets his eyes. “I used to think that I'd run the team with Oscar. Before I ever got into physical therapy, I was obsessed with the Devils. Learning the ins and outs became this weird crutch for me…”

“Maybe one day it'll all be yours,” Zero answers wistfully. 

Jude shakes his head warily. “Somehow, I doubt that.”

~

It takes a while for them to hone on a target, but when they do, Zero is not happy. 

Hunter Matthews, owner of a billion dollar hedge fund that collapsed publicly a few years ago. He remembers the stories pouring out for weeks and weeks. The only thing that this Hunter guy has going for him is that he seems to be as corrupt as Oscar. 

“Didn't he go bankrupt?” Jude asks, leafing through the information booklet that Mieke compiled. 

Clearly she's missed her calling in life. 

Mieke rolls her eyes. “Look, it's bad enough that you idiots have dragged me into this. Just trust that I know what I'm doing. Hunter is a good guy  _ and  _ he's willing to help you.”

It wasn't part of the plan to tell Mieke, but she's too smart for her own good. Once Zero explained the situation to her, there was no way that she could refuse to help.

Somehow, they all seem to have developed guilty consciences. 

Except for Lionel, who's done nothing bar complaining incessantly. “I don't see why I have to let Oscar slobber all over me for this plan to work.”

Jude raises an eyebrow. “He's got a poster of that horrible alien movie you did back in 2007. I saw it one Christmas when my mom forced us to have lunch together.”

Zero catches the involuntary shudder and decides that he doesn't want to know what else Jude found. 

Lionel shrugs and takes a sip of her ever present wine. “So, he's a fan. That's still not an incentive. And before you say anything, avenging that dead dancer isn't one either.”

Zero rolls his eyes and says, “I'll get you a meeting with Christopher Nolan if you agree to do it.”

That seems to shut her up. 

-IV-

“Your PI isn't one for loyalty, you do know that right?”

Zero wipes a bead of sweat from his forehead and drops the kettle ball he was holding. 

Jelena steps forward from the shadows of the gym theatrically, her green eyes glittering with contempt.

He bites back the urge to laugh at her made-for-TV villainous antics. 

“What do you want, Jelena? I'm busy.”

He grabs his towel and drapes it around his neck.

Jelena takes another step forward, voice low as she says, “I know that you had him investigate whether or not that I killed Olivia. I also know that you're looking into Oscar.”

Zero glares at her, his eyes narrowing when he realises that she's  _ serious _ . “I don't see what th--”

“I want in,” she interjects. “Whatever the plan is, I want to be a part of it.”

Zero throws his head back and laughs. It's a fully belly laugh that leaves him with a mild ache.

Jelena barely flinches. Her green eyes remain steely and cold. 

“Mia was a Devil Girl and that still means something. I may not have liked her, but she was one of us. When she came to me about what Oscar was doing. I gave her a stack of cash and told her to run. I wasn't expecting her to end up in the river. I keep wondering if I could have prevented that - actually helped her.”

Her words have a sobering effect on Zero. He knew that Jelena was callous and morally depraved, but this is crazy even for her. 

“People like you don't care about anyone else,” he informs her without taking care to conceal the resentment in his tone. “You see people as pawns in your messed up games.”

Jelena takes a few steps forward, her heels clicking on the linoleum. She swallows audibly. 

“I have no excuse for my behaviour and I'm not going to pretend that I'm this changed woman. I'm still the same bitch you knew yesterday, but I grew up watching men disrespect women. I vowed that it would never happen to me, but I don't have to stop there. No women should have to suffer at the hands of  _ any  _ man. I want to see Oscar suffer.”

Zero stares at her wordlessly. He doesn't believe a word of it, but given how good she was at pretending to be into him, he's willing to have her on board. 

No one does conniving the way Jelena does.

~

They meet at Zero's house, all convened around the dining table he never uses. 

Clive's here, because he has Zero's back no matter what (and he's hiding from his monstrous in-laws). 

Jude is present because,  _ duh.  _ He's standing by his man...and stuff. 

Lionel’s here because her career died after that trashy Lifetime movie she did. 

Jelena is here because she can't stand the thought of someone being even more morally depraved that she is. 

Chase Vincent is here because---

“Hold up,” Zero puts an end to Laura's unnecessary commentary on who's turned up for this meeting. “ _ Chase  _ is here?”

He pushes past Laura and storms into the room. “Who invited Chase?”

“I did,” Jelena says. “I know for a fact that he has a lot of information that will be useful to us.”

Chase grunts and it's clear that he's here under duress. Zero doesn't care, though -

the sooner they get this over, the better. 

His eyes scan the room before landing on a pair of green orbs that look very familiar. 

“Cheryl?”

Jude's mother nods at him curtly. “I heard that you were taking Oscar down and I decided to join you. This doesn't mean I approve of you. I just want to see Oscar get what's coming to him.”

Zero stares at her wordlessly before he moves along to her left. 

Derek Roman sits there proudly and stares right back at him. 

“Why are  _ you  _ here?”

“Someone leaked some stories about my drug tests to the press. According to my agent, it was Oscar. He's trying to keep me on a damn leash and I’m sick of it.”

Before Derek can continue his rant, Mieke appears with a large stack of paper in her hand. “Before we go any further, I need all of you to sign these non-disclosure agreements.” 

There are a series of murmurs as people voice their discontent. 

Meanwhile, Zero is finally starting to process the gravity of what they’re doing - plotting to take down a powerful man who could destroy them on any given day. 

He’s not so sure that he can go through with this. 

“Zero, can I talk to you outside,” Mieke says suddenly. “Jude, can you come with us?”

Once they’re in the hallway, Mieke gives him an icy look. “Are you okay? You're not backing out are you? This was  _ your  _ idea.”

In the past, Zero’s only interest would be himself, but when he thinks about why he’s doing this he keeps on considering the fallout. 

That makes him feel…

...overwhelmed, nauseated, cold and --- oh God, he can’t  _ breathe _ . 

“....him downstairs....ten minutes…” Zero can make out Mieke’s voice, but it’s distorted and he has no idea what she's trying to say. 

-V-

Mieke assures them that everyone is onboard and aware of their roles just before she leaves. 

“We've got this, okay?” she says. “Don't worry about earlier, we told everyone that you had a tension headache.”

Zero shifts on the couch and gives her a mock salute. “Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow.”

When she's gone he's left sitting in silence. Jude's dropping his mom off at her hotel and he has no idea where Clive is. 

“Dude, what's up with you?” Laura emerges suddenly and throws herself onto the couch. 

“Nothing.”

Laura rolls her eyes. “Really? The whole brooding, masculine thing is kind of old. Talk to me.”

Zero raises an eyebrow. “The same way you talked to me about our mother?”

It's a low blow but he's still upset about that. He feels like he's losing her even though she's right there. That's not even the worst part - he has no right to expect her to stay. Not after everything she's been through. 

“Gideon, I'm sorry about that. I'm  _ not  _ moving with her. God, she called me all kinds of names when I told her I would rather stay here.”

Zero's protective instincts kick in. “Fuck her. She doesn't have any right to talk to you like that.”

Laura rubs his arm soothingly. “I know. You have never treated me that way. Even when you were keeping me at arm's length. I always felt that... bond. Like, I knew that you cared. With her...I don't know. I really don't.”

“Well, I wish I knew what to tell you, but when it comes to our darling mother, I've just accepted that I can't expect people to change. All I can do is manage my own expectations. There's nothing that she has that I want.”

Laura swats him playfully. “Quit making sense.  _ I'm _ supposed to be the smart one.”

~

The next morning, Jude joins Zero on his run. They don't usually work out together, but Jude has been watching him like a hawk ever since the incident yesterday. Zero knows that they have to talk about it, but he's embarrassed. 

“Can we skip the part where we talk about yesterday?”

They're sitting on a bench in the park and Zero feels like he's falling out of his own skin. He feels  _ wrong.  _ How the hell is he supposed to explain that?

“You had an anxiety attack. I've seen it before.”

Zero shakes his head bitterly. “You're just saying that.”

Jude leans over and grabs Zero's hands. “I'm not. You've been through so much in the last few months, Gideon. My arrest, all of the publicity, getting  _ shot  _ and now we're trying to take down Oscar. It's normal to feel overwhelmed.”

“You think so?” Zero asks; he doesn't agree. That's not how he was brought up. Being tough meant being  _ tough _ . Bouncing back quickly, never letting anything get to him.

“I know so. I'm here, okay?... I don't care if you get anxious, or you need a break. You deserve one. No one else matters, but

...don't ever feel like you have to be embarrassed around me. I've got your back, no matter what.”

For the first time that morning, Zero smiles. He releases a breathy laugh and looks away, his mind suddenly occupied by something else that he doesn't want to voice. 

~

After Zero is done with practise, he meets up with Mieke at the house. They video call in Hunter because they don't want to risk anyone seeing him around. 

Hunter has light brown skin and round glasses along with sparkling studs in both of his ears. Before everything went left, he was on his way to becoming one of California's most successful African-Americans. Zero's not an expert on race relations in the state, but that sounds like a big deal. 

At least Hunter is making it  _ sound  _ like one, given the long list of credentials he read off when he told them that heads would roll if something went wrong. 

Mieke, to her credit, doesn't flinch, she just powers ahead with their plan. 

“Tonight, you're attending the Devils fundraiser with Lionel. All you need to do is make brief contact with Oscar. Mention the stadium deal - make it seem like you're in the know. I'll email you the figures you need.”

Hunter scratches his lightly stubbled chin and leans forward. “You're sure that I'll get my cut of the money if we pull this off?”

Mieke rolls her eyes. “Yes. Get back to us at the end of the night.”

She ends the call and scribbles something down in her moleskine notebook. 

“It's kind of scary how well you're managing this whole thing,” Zero says, rolling his shoulders back to ease some of the tension. “Especially seeing as how you have no real horse in this fight.”

Mieke sets the notebook down and glares at him. “You were almost killed because of Oscar's actions and for some reason, I actually like you. I saw firsthand how you changed after you got shot and I want to get justice on  _ your  _ behalf.”

Zero grins. “I knew you would succumb to my charms eventually, Mie.”

Mieke's glare is cold. “Call me that again and I'll chop your balls off.”

Zero hold his hands in faux apology. “Whatever you say, darling.”

-VI-

Chase Vincent is the outgoing EVP of the Devils’, meaning that he still has access to some of the confidential files. If anyone knows all of the dirt on the stadium deal it's him. 

He drops by on a Wednesday afternoon, with a face that screams  _ how did I end up here?  _

“This is everything I have,” he says, unceremoniously dumping the box onto Zero's custom made oak dining table. “You need me to go through them?”

Zero raises an eyebrow. “Sure, that would be awesome. We need you to highlight whatever you think will be important.” 

Chase glances at his watch and mutters something under his breath.

“What was that?”

“It's not too long ago that you were trying to convince me that you didn't sleep with my wife.” 

It seems so long ago now.

Zero can't believe he was ever worried about remaining in Chase's good books. Especially with all of the stories that make their way around about him. 

“Funny, right? It's not like you haven't slept your way around.”

Chase shrugs nonchalantly. “You expect me to believe that you're completely committed to Jude? That no one catches your eye?’

“I'm not perfect, Chase, but you're not about to stand here in my house and act like you're doing  _ me  _ a favour. I know what went down with you and that dead cheerleader.”

Zero doesn't mention Mia by name deliberately; if Chase thinks that this is anything to do with her, he'll walk. They can't afford that.

Chase swallows audibly and scratches at his stubble. “I didn't mean for that to happen. I... I... lost control. It was j--”

Zero cuts him off. “I don't want to hear it. Just highlight the important information in those files.”

He leave the room without a word, and heads downstairs to his makeshift den. Jude is there watching the feed of the dining room that Mieke insisted they set up. 

When Zero had questioned her, all she said was: “At least one of these people is going to try and undermine you. You need to be prepared.”

Sure enough, Chase takes out several pages of the files, folds them and slips them into his jacket pocket. Clearly, he's trying to hide something. 

Jude makes a discontented sound. “I think Mieke is in the wrong job.”

~

Hunter and Lionel are all over social media and blogs after their display at the fundraiser. There's even some footage of them making out in their limo on the way out.

That, along with the Forbes article stating that Hunter was ready to invest in viable opportunities again, seems to indicate that their plan is on track.

“I can't work out of this is good or bad,” Jude says when he's clocked out of the video. “On one hand, it looks like a cheap publicity stunt. On the other, maybe that will appeal to Oscar more?

Zero rubs at his eyes tiredly and leans back against the couch. 

“This shit seems so much more straightforward in the movies. George Clooney comes up with a plan. The team executes it. Boom.”

Jude joins Zero and rubs his shoulder soothingly. “Don't stress out over it. Jelena's got the next task and you and I know that she's not going to screw this up.”

Zero meets Jude's eyes and rests his hand on Jude's. “Let's hope not.”

-VII-

Jelena's role is simple. 

All she has to do is question the ambition of the team. Technically, she's still a dancer, but after Sloane Hayes quit as the Devil Girls’ director, she basically assumed that position.

They manage to get her a spot on  _ Watch What Happens Live _ , and after shooting the shit with Andy Cohen for fifteen minutes, he asks her about how Olivia's death has affected the team. 

“Olivia and I were like... well, she was my mentor. She was the one who turned the Devil Girls into the organisation that we are today. That ambition and drive is what I admired about her. She was very excited about expanding the team further.”

Andy nods slowly. “Are you talking about the new stadium? I remember that being a huge deal a few months ago. Is that not happening anymore?”

Jelena smiles sweetly. “You'll have to ask Oscar Kinkade. Obviously, the Devil Girls still have that ambition and we will keep that no matter where we perform.”

“Subtle, but effective.” 

That's Mieke’s take on the interview. 

Laura's is much more to the point. 

“Is it me, or did she basically answer his questions with nothing? It was like variations of ambition, ambition, ambition.”

“That's the point,” Jude points out. “She's publicly going up against Oscar.”

~

Sure enough, there's an interview in the Times the morning after Jelena appears on WWHL! Oscar ensures the reporter that development is still under way. 

“ _ Obviously, I had to halt several deals while I assisted the police with their enquiries and supported my son and his partner, but ambition is what the L.A. Devils are all about. I'm sure there are people who want to see us fail, but... Nobody dreams bigger than we do.” _

Jude folds the newspaper and tosses it onto the table. 

“That was weird.”

Zero looks up from his bowl of cereal. “What's weird?”

“He mentioned  _ you. _ He never does that. It's always supported my son and that's only when he's directly asks about me. He's up to something.”

Zero's spoon clatters into his bowl. “I'll let Mieke know.”

Jude exhales messily and Zero gets the hint that there's a problem. 

“Don't you think it's a little convenient how easily she put this plan in place?”

“Not really. I have been compiling information about Oscar for four months, but this isn't my area. I have to make sure that I don't come across as suspicious. That means, I show up and play.”

Jude shakes his head. “We barely blinked and suddenly Hunter Matthews is our perfect candidate. He's onboard. He's getting articles in Forbes. He's dry humping Lionel. It's a little convenient.”

Zero's too busy wincing at the mental image of anyone dry humping Lionel to actually answer the question, but luckily, Mieke chimes in first. 

“Actually, I handled Hunter's PR before his company went bust. Learnt the ropes there. Didn't you read my résumé?”

Zero blinks. In all fairness, they were mired in scandal when he hired her. Looking through her résumé wasn't on the top of his priorities. He pays people to do all of that boring shit. 

“We really need to upgrade our security,” Jude mumbles. “Anyone can just walk in here.”

Mieke sets her Filofax down and points at Jude. “I like this inquisitive thing that you've got going on, even if you think I'm the big bad wolf. I'm doing  _ you  _ a favour. I have no dog in this fight.” 

Zero regards her silently before he resumes eating his cereal. Getting shot isn't in his top moments, but one good thing has come out of it. 

Rampant paranoia about everyone and everything. 

His private investigator didn't just look into Oscar, he did thorough background checks on everyone who was going to be around Zero. 

Jude shakes his head and laughs bitterly. “Look, Mieke, I'm not the enemy here. I just think we all need to be transparent here. You have an endgame. You wouldn't be here if you didn't. We  _ all  _ have our endgames. You know ours. It's only fair that we know yours.”

Mieke scoffs and rolls her eyes. It would be an Oscar-worthy performance is she wasn't nervously tapping her fingers against their breakfast bar. 

“I'm helping a client. That's all. If you want to put an end to this - say the word. Oscar  _ is  _ your father after all. It's only a matter of time before you punk out.”

It's the most ruffled that Zero's seen her and he decides to step in. 

“Jude's right. You  _ do  _ have an angle. It's obviously related to Hunter. So, what is it? He does this and somehow his reputation recovers?” 

Mieke’s lips press into a thin line. “It's none of your business, Zero. Seriously. Just leave it alone.”

Jude shoots Zero a knowing look; they can't afford to be out of the loop here. 

“I know about the gambling. The fact that you ended up owing that bookie two hundred grand. The same amount that the SEC ended up investigating Hunter over before they realised that was just the tip of the iceberg.”

Her brown eyes widen with surprise. There's an awkward, drawn out silence before anyone speaks again. 

“Hunter is why I don't  _ befriend  _ my clients,” Mieke informs them, her tone cold and detached. Zero can tell that something has shifted. “I still owe him and yeah, I was using this as an opportunity to pay him back for ruining his entire career.” 

The thing is that, everyone has their vice. For Zero, it was sex and surrounding himself with yes people. With Mieke, she somehow got herself mixed in with horse races. Given her background, Zero wasn't surprised. If anything, it made him respect her more. 

“Can someone clue me in?” Jude says. “I'm sorry that I can't afford a fancy investigator of my own.”

Zero raises an eyebrow; he doesn't want Jude to be left out but at the same time  _ tact  _ would be nice. 

Mieke's hand stills. “When I was twenty-one, I started dating this guy. His uncle was a bookie/small time drug dealer. I was doing hair back then while I went to college. Eventually, I declared a major and dumped that guy, but I was oddly into placing bets. I liked strategizing and coming up with outcomes.

“By the time I got the job with Hunter, it was still under control, but I was placing large bets. One night, I fucked up badly and it spiralled into a huge mess. I begged Hunter for help and he gave me that money right out of one of the company accounts. It just so happened that it was the one with the dirty money.”

There's silence once she's finished sharing her story. 

“I once had sex with a nun,” Zero tells them. He's never told anyone that before. In fact, the nun begged him not to. “It was in Vegas of all places. I went into a  _ real  _ chapel as a bet and she was there. We got talking about repenting sins an--”

“Please stop talking,” Mieke says, her nose wrinkling with unbridled disgust. “I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I'd like to be able to believe that no nun was ever desperate enough to betray themselves for a night with you.”

Zero doesn't finish his story, but he doesn't hide the smirk on his face either. He's going to write one heck of a book someday. 

Jude clears his throat. “I once slashed this kid's tires. His bike tires. He kept on letting his dog crap all over my doorstep. So, one day, I followed him to his house and went to town on his bicycle. Left him a nice note that said 'keep your shit to yourself’. 

Zero cocks his head to the side and raises an eyebrow. 

“There is no way that  _ actually _ happened.”

Jude's eyes widen, his brows shooting upwards and curving with mischief. “It did!” 

Zero shakes his head. “There's no way that you drove to that kids house. You don't even like to flip off drivers who don't use turn signals.”

Jude rolls his eyes, but he's fighting a smile. “Fine. He stupidly parked his bike across the street and I did the damage there.”

“Ha! I knew it!” 

Jude's smile morphs into a series of chuckle and because Zero's a sucker for that laugh, he joins in. 

Mieke's laugh startles Zero - he'd almost forgotten that she was there. “You guys are cute together.”

Jude's face reddens, but Zero grins hard. 

Damn right they are. 

-VIII-

The annual Devils charity dinner rolls around and Hunter arrives at Zero's house to pick up Lionel. Lionel’s decked out in a red, floor length evening gown and enough diamonds to light up a Christmas tree. 

Zero isn't sure why she had to get ready at their house; last time he checked, she cleaned Pete out during their divorce and walked away with at least three houses. 

“It smells like ambition and deceit,” Zero muses when Lionel and Hunter leave. “It's funny what people are willing to do for money.”

Jude hums in agreement, his hands occupied with tousling his hair in front of their bathroom mirror. 

Tonight's the easy part. Hunter has to make a lasting impression on Oscar. With Lionel on his arm, catching Oscar's attention will be easy enough. They just have to hope that he takes the bait. 

“You do realise that your bow tie is crooked, right?” Jude says. He steps closer, knowing fully well that Zero's bowtie is at the perfect angle. He leans in and kisses him gently before he pulls back. 

There's a trouble look on his face, his eyes stormy and unfocused. 

“This is the right thing to do, isn't it?” 

His voice comes out as a whisper and Zero reaches forward and straightens Jude's collar. “I made a promise, Jude. I have to keep it.”

Jude nods slowly, but Zero knows that this isn't the end.

He just hopes that Jude doesn't get in the way of the plan. 

~

Laura accompanies them to the charity benefit, although, when Zero sees what she's wearing he has to stop himself from calling Clive to drive her home. 

He's not sure if it's designer, all he knows is that whoever made it  _ clearly  _ ran out of fabric on that sorry day. 

Laura whistles loudly when Lionel and Hunter stroll in “Hunter is pretty hot. Lionel is so lucky that she gets to fake date him.” 

Jelena, who ended up on the same table as them, glares at her. “Keep it down.”

Laura brushes the comment off and says: “Terrence, have I mentioned how much I adore your wife?” 

Terrence starts to chuckle but Jelena silences him with a cold glance. Zero shakes his head to himself; Terrence is so freaking  _ whipped _ (and Laura is an unrepentant brat). 

The benefit has been uneventful so far, but Hunter should have planted his first seed by now. The second is about to come in the form of a….

_ Ping _ ! 

There are a series of notification sounds around the table. Zero looks down to see an alert for an article.

_ Oscar Kinkade on verge of losing billion dollar stadium deal! _

By the time he looks up, someone is whispering furiously in Oscar's ear. Unfortunately for Oscar, he was in the middle of a compelling speech about how much charity means to him. 

“Well, it seems like I have some urgent business to attend to,” Oscar says into the microphone. “Enjoy the rest of your evening!”

There's a burst of loud static as he hurries away from the stage. 

Some hours later, Jude's looks up from his cell with a indifferent expression. 

“According to Lionel, Oscar and Hunter had a long conversation about investments.” 

Zero looks at Jude but says nothing. 

The risks are still on playing on his mind and this evening has done nothing to reassure him. 

~

Luckily for them, Oscar falls for the bait. 

It takes a long nail-biting two weeks, but he finally agrees to let Hunter act as his proxy buyer for the new stadium. 

“I'm taking credit for this,” Lionel says while she's sipping on a glass of wine. “I had to sit through several boring dinners with both Hunter and Oscar. Neither of who have sparkling personalities.”

Zero ignores her and wonders why she's  _ always _ at his house. 

-IV-

It's been two months since Oscar agreed to let Hunter handle financing the new stadium. In that time, the Devils have played seven games with no losses. Zero's picked up two more endorsement deals and Jude's got a new job working at a practice owned by the PT he replaced. Jude was reluctant to leave the team, but Zero pushed him. If everything goes awry at least one of them will have something good going for them. 

It's the eve of Derek Roman's birthday party when they get wind that Oscar might finally be ready to make the last payment. It's a one point five billion dollar deal, and while Oscar isn't hurting for money, that's less than what he has stashed away. This means that other people are involved, but with the help of Laura, they were able to tweak the plan. 

“It would be really obvious if the money goes missing just after he's transferred it to Hunter. We need to intercept at least one payment to make it seem like outside forces were at work.”

That meant that Zero had to fork out even more cash on lawyers and a hacker.

Apparently, justice is priceless  _ and  _ he's clearly going to end up broke and on reality television when he's older. 

“What are we going to do with the money that Hunter has already?” Laura asks, her voice quiet amidst the sounds of chatter and loud music. “Are we keeping it? 'Cause there's a Malibu beach house that I have my money on.” 

Jude shows up then, with a glass of champagne in his hand. “Did I miss anything?”

Zero greets him with a kiss, drawing it out when Laura clears her throat loudly. 

“Zero was just about to promise to buy me a beach house.” 

Jude's eyebrow shoots up. “Oh, yeah?”

Zero would usually have something witty to say, but his mind is preoccupied. Derek Roman’s party is doubling as their alibis. Jelena hasn't arrived yet which is an issue because she's the signal. If she shows up, they've managed to intercept the last payment. If she doesn't, something has gone wrong. 

“You know how you watch those really cool action movies? This is nothing like that. This is one of the worst things I've ever experienced.”

Both of Jude's eyebrows are raised at this point, but Zero is on a roll. 

“It would have been easier to just hire a hitman and rewrite his will.”

Laura scoffs. “Yeah, that would be so much easier. Hiring a hitman to kill your boyfriend's father. Doofus.”

“Anything has to be better than two months of watching Oscar and Hunter talk about the SEC or whatever the fuck,” Zero snaps, narrowing his eyes when Laura merely shrugs and heads towards the buffet table. 

Jude seems to shake himself out of a trance because suddenly he's pulling on Zero's arm and directing him outside. 

Once the cold hair hits Zero's face, he feels a tiniest morsel of relief. It evaporates quickly the way it does when he's anywhere but on court. 

“Gideon, we're almost there. Soon, Oscar will be left with nothing and you'll have kept your promise.”

The promise.

This stopped being about the promise a long time ago. If it ever was about it. 

“I'm sorry that Mia died and that her sister ended up in jail, but I'm not just doing this for them. I'm doing it for  _ you _ . That's why I can't afford to fuck this up.”

“I guess that today is your lucky day,” Jelena says, stepping out of the shadows seconds later. “It's done.”

~

The news hits the tabloids two days later. 

_ DEVILS STADIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLD TO TERJEL CORPORATION! _

“Wow. Terrence and Jelena really know the meaning of subtlety, don't they?” Jude tosses aside his phone and burrows closer. They're having a lazy Tuesday morning while they wait for the news to sink in. By now, Hunter should be long gone, along with two hundred million. Jelena and Terrence used half of the money to purchase the actual plot and the rest remains in the offshore accounts Hunter left them in. 

All that's left is to wait and see what happens to Oscar. 

Jude's phone begins to ring, vibrating with vigour on nightstand. 

He rolls over to answer it. 

“Hello? Oscar, I---yeah, I just saw it. Money? What are you talking about? Hunter? I don't know him that well. You'd have to ask Lionel. What's going on? I thought you were closing the stadium deal? The team? What? I don't know. Maybe you should call Mom. I'm no longer an employee of the team, I can't access any files. Zero? What? He's a player. Pretty sure he can't either. Okay--”

The call ends abruptly if the irritated look on Jude's face is anything to go by. 

“Looks like the SEC just stepped up their investigation into Oscar. They're making him step down as chairman of the team. Once the board find out that he's broke…”

Zero can hardly believe it. 

They're almost there. 

~

Obtaining Oscar's stake of the team was never part of the plan until Jelena mentioned that she'd be going after it. Despite their ongoing truce, there was no way that he was going to let that happen.

“Zero, darling, what do you want?”

Zero and Jude’s mom aren’t allies, but they’re not enemies either. She doesn't particularly care for him and he thinks she could have done more to make Jude feel like he was good enough without Oscar's influence. 

Still, they both have a common goal; protecting Jude at all costs. 

“I have a proposition for you,” Zero says. “I need you to buy Oscar's stake of the team.”

Her eyes widen and she laughs. “I can assure that while my alimony is decent, it's not that good. Plus, in light of recent events, I might need to look into another form of income.”

“Look, I thought about that and that's why I want you to buy his stake. You need to chip in with a few million, but we can cover the rest. That way, you still have money coming in and Jude will still have a legacy to uphold.”

Personally, Zero would rather burn it all to the ground, but Jude sees this as his legacy.

He's willing to do whatever he needs to protect it. 

“Oscar could blow us all out of the water at any time, you realise that?”

Zero smiles. “Actually, those files you gave us were very helpful. The SEC investigation will be nothing compared to what the FBI will do to him if they some much as get a whiff of what he's been up to.”

She takes out a handkerchief from her purse and dabs at her face gently. 

“So, you think he'll go quietly.”

Zero shrugs. “For now. You'd be surprised at how many enemies he has. How many people he's crossed.”

“Fine. I'll do it.”

~

The board move quickly. Through Jelena and Terrence, they keep tabs on the sale.

Oscar goes into overdrive; morning shows and CNN interviews.

Zero gets home from practise to find Jude watching Oscar tearfully proclaim his innocence. 

“Whatever happened to  _ no comment _ ?” 

Jude looks up when Zero strokes his hair gently. “Oh, this is just a repeat. It gets worse.”

On-screen, Oscar is looking directly in the camera. “This is the work of Chase Vincent. He knew that I had incriminating evidence about him.”

The host, a smartly dressed woman, leans forward precariously, “Can you elaborate?”

Oscar sneers, his face contorting violently. Zero can count all of the lines on his haggard face. “He killed Mia Sertin.”

Zero's mouth drops just as the screen cuts to footage of Chase Vincent being led out of his home in handcuffs. 

“He thinks that Chase is the one that hoodwinked him.” 

“Wow.” 

Jude raises an eyebrow. “Like you and Mieke didn't cook this up?”

Zero shakes his head. “Oh, this isn't on me. This is the work of someone else.”

Sure, Zero had an idea that Chase was on the takedown list the second he heard that Jelena brought him in on the plan.

He can't say he feel sorry for Chase, but this isn't what he promised. 

“This isn't good enough, Jude,” he sighs. “We keep sticking knives into Oscar and he bounces back.” 

Jude turns so that he's facing Zero. “We planned for this. Just... let things happen, okay?’

-X-

Oscar disappears mysteriously in the early hours of a balmy Sunday night. 

“What?” Zero says when Laura reads out what sounds like a bad start to a story for English class. “TMZ won't print that. We need something simple and to the point.”

Laura taps the corner of her mouth with her pen. “How do you know that Oscar's gone?”

Zero grits his teeth. 

_ It's late and Zero finds himself standing on the tarmac of a private airfield.  _

_ Oscar's private jet is in the distance, preparing to take off. _

_ He turns to face his PI. “Is the pilot onboard?” _

_ The PI nods. “Seems that way. We'll know more when the plane lands. He'll be in touch.” _

_ Zero presses his lips together. “This stays between us, right?” _

_ “Of course.” _

“I have good intel.”

Zero's not about to tell his baby sister that he's conspired to dump his boyfriend's father in the middle of nowhere. 

“What have you done, Gideon?”

Zero faces her head on. “Nothing that I wouldn't do again. I'd do anything to keep you and Jude safe. Anything.”

The tears escape before he can do anything about them and Laura nudges him gently. “I'll get Mieke to write something boring about Oscar. We need to figure out what we're going to tell Jude.”

~

Telling Jude becomes moot by midday when his mother calls a huge press conference and announces that she's now the majority owner of the team. 

Jude is sitting beside her looking perplexed while Zero watches from the back, eyes raises as she jokes with the media. 

“Was this your idea?” Jelena appears by Zero's side. 

He rolls his eyes. “If you're interested, we need someone to help run the place day to day. I figure that Terrence can manage the stadium deal and you can join the board. If you're interested that is.”

That stops Jelena in her tracks, her eyes wide with shock. 

“If you're being sincere, what do you stand to get out of this?”

Zero smiles weakly. “A relatively clear conscience and a boss that sticks with me even though my arm isn't at a hundred percent.”

Truth be told, he'd been planning on playing through the pain, but Jude examined his arm a few days ago and advised him not to. 

Jelena frowns. “Nobody wants you to risk permanent injury. You should sit out until you're ready. I'll guarantee you a spot for when that is.”

“You better.”

Jelena looks away momentarily. “I heard about Oscar.”

Zero stares straight ahead. “Oh?”

“Don't worry, I have the dirt on your PI. He's only spilling the messy details to yours truly.” 

That's not a very comforting thought, but Zero doesn't say anything. 

“I think you did the right thing,” Jelena adds. “Besides. We both know that he'll be back. One way or another.”

~

They hold a party at the bar to celebrate the new ownership. Zero even gives Clive a chance to show that catering at the Playground  _ could  _ be better. 

Later on in the night, Jude meets Zero outside away from the bustle of the event. 

“I love you, you know that, right?” Zero says. “From that day I got injured and you were so unimpressed with me. I knew that you were it for me.”

Jude cracks a smile. “If you need me to help you bury a body, just say the word.”

“Look, Jude, I know that my timing might be off, but... I want this to be forever. I want us to be forever.”

Zero pulls out the small ring box from his pocket, opening it slowly before he hands it to Jude. “What do you say?”

Jude is quiet for a long time, his eyes focused solely on the ring in the center of the box. 

“I want us to be forever too.’

There's silence before fireworks erupt in front of them, bathing them in red light. 

Laura appears suddenly, hands all over the small box before Jude can even take it out. 

“Fireworks? Really?” Zero says, although he's smiling. “I told you to get Clive here so that he can share the moment.”

Clive clears his throat and steps forward so that Zero can see him. “You know, they finally have decent food in The Playground thanks to me and I'm out here watching you deliver the worst proposal I've ever heard.”

“I thought it was pretty good,” Jude says with a wide grin. “Actually, can you guys give us a second please.”

“Congratulations, guys!” Laura says before she hugs them. “Come on, Clive, let's got so that Jude can say a bunch of dirty things to 

“You know, your PI isn't really one for discretion.”

Zero has to roll his eyes. He's really going to have to leave John a negative Yelp! review. 

“You did the right thing.”

Zero looks down, scuffs his shoe against the concrete. “It doesn't feel that way.”

“Oscar is my father, and I've always been protective over him. Even when he doesn't deserve it. What have I ever gotten in return? Nothing. I can stand here and say that I'm hoping for a change, but it's not going to happen. So I don't care what happens to him. The same way he doesn't care about us.”

Zero meets Jude's eyes and searches for a trace of doubt, but all he sees is clarity. 

“Okay,” he says slowly. “Okay. This is the right thing.”

He just wishes that he believed it. 

-XI-

News of the engagement spreads and Lionel insists on throwing a party. Zero is roped into helping because he's out injured for three weeks while they run more tests on his arm. The current fear is that the bullet affected a nerve, and he's been freaking out ever since. At this point, throwing this party is a good distraction. 

The visitation order comes on a Tuesday morning and sours Zero's mood. He's been avoiding Gemma because he doesn't want a reminder of the whole situation. Now that Oscar is gone, everything has finally sank in. While he sympathises with her, she's the person responsible for his arm being fucked up and she tried to harm Jude. 

Zero doesn't have anything to say to her. 

Still, he ends up at the women's prison where she's being held. Waiting in a room full of weary visitors. He's wearing baggy clothes and a baseball cap pulled down as low as possible. The last thing he needs is to be papped at this place. 

“Zero.”

He's jolted out of his thoughts by her calling his name. Her hair is dull blonde-brown and her blue eyes are pale and water. Her cheeks are sallow and she looks like sleep has been evading her for several months. 

“You wanted to see me?” Zero doesn't bother with pleasantries. He just wants this to be over with. 

“I read about Oscar and Chase Vincent in the papers,” Gemma starts slowly, “I didn't think you'd pull it off. In fact, the longer I sat here, the more I realised how crazy everything was. Shooting you. Asking you to do what you did. None of that is going to bring my sister back.”

Zero's not normally an emotional guy, but his heart stirs at her words. He can't imagine being so distraught that he's driven to harm someone so gravely. He doesn't even want to imagine it or ever being in that situation. 

“It's not, but at least people know what happened. They know what Chase did and Oscar... well he's been taking care of.”

Gemma nods, her eyes vacant as she stares down at the table. 

“What are your lawyers saying?” 

Gemma snorts messily. “I should be out in five years. We managed to get the murder charge thrown out. Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.”

Zero releases a deep breath. “Well, I'm not going to say or do anything that'll add to that. If you need me to speak in your favour, I'd be happy to.”

It's a spur of the moment decision, but it feels right. 

~

“It feels like so long ago that our biggest worry was you accidentally outing yourself on Instagram,” Jude says. 

They're having a candlelit dinner; a surprise that Laura and Clive cooked up for them, along with some complimentary half-empty bottle of champagne courtesy of Lionel. 

Zero's arm is back in a protective support sling, but his medical team are optimistic. He should be back on court in a few weeks. 

“Someone should write a book about us. Or, better yet, we need our own TV show. It's a shame that Brad Pitt isn't a few years younger. I think he's be perfect for the role of Zero.”

Jude holds up a bread stick. “Don't make me throw this at you.”

“I'm injured remember, play nice.”

Jude's eyes dim and Zero regrets making the joke. 

~

It's much later when Zero drags Jude onto the court at the arena. It's dark and the only people there are the security team and maintenance. 

He pulls Jude into a chaste kiss and steps back slowly. “Someday all of this is going to be  _ yours. _ ”

He knows it's not quite the same as having a father who actually gives a damn about him, but Jude deserves this and more. It's his legacy, his birthright.

Jude closes the distance between them and shakes his head. “You're wrong.”

Zero raises an eyebrow. “I am?”

“Yeah,” Jude says, his lips languidly curling into a grin. “Someday this is going to be  _ ours _ .”

_ Fin.  _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading x


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